Naked Trump statue in New York City draws crowds

A Donald Trump statue, placed on the 14th Street side of Union Square, depicted the Republican presidential candidate in the nude. It was among five statues that appeared in major U.S. cities on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016. Photo Credit: Alison Fox

A “huuuge” naked statue of Donald Trump drew dozens of onlookers to Union Square on Thursday until it was unceremoniously ripped down.

The statue, placed on the 14th Street side of the square, showed the Republican presidential candidate completely nude — save for what appeared to be an Illuminati ring — with his hands on his protruding belly. The plaque he stood on, which had been glued to the ground, was signed “Ginger.”

Just before 1:20 p.m., Parks Department employees took down the effigy, leaving the feet and ankles still attached to the base, before using spades to chop up the foam stand.

“NYC Parks stands firmly against any unpermitted erection in city parks, no matter how small,” a Parks Department spokesman said.

While it was not immediately clear who physically put the statue up, it did come with a plaque signed “INDECLINE.” A YouTube account in that name, with the artist listed as Ginger, posted a video of five identical naked Trump statues being made.

A spokesman for the group told The Washington Post that the project was four months in the making. There were at least four other naked Trump statues displayed across the country -- in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cleveland and Seattle.

“Like it or not, Trump is a larger-than-life figure in world culture at the moment,” the spokesman told The Washington Post, speaking anonymously. “Looking back in history, that’s how those figures were memorialized and idolized in their time — with statues.”

Michael Inkles, 26, arrived just after the figure had been removed from Union Square.

“I guess it’s funny,” said the Kew Gardens, Queens, resident, who came from work to see it. “I feel like any attention given to Donald Trump is too much, even if it’s negative attention. I’m kind of past finding Donald Trump funny. I’m kind of terrified.”

Kenneth Underwood came down from Columbia University, where he’s a student, to see the statue.

“He’s a very vain person. He objectifies people,” Underwood said of Trump. “I like art like this.

But Daniel Abramson, a 19-year-old student from Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, said he wasn’t sure whether Union Square was the right place for such a statue -- in front of Trump’s own building may have been more appropriate.

“I think it’s very childish, but then again this candidate is childish,” he said. “I actually approve of them taking it down. This is a very public park with kids.”